Your Daily Miracle: Vocation

I just received an e-mail from our lovely young friend, Joe, who stayed with us in the midst of his world travels and spent some time with Natalie on his way out of town to catch a boat to South America.  I knew he and Natalie would get along famously, and since Martin and I are on the rather old and tied-down side and couldn't show him much while he was here, I suggested he meet her in Seattle.  She was a willing tour guide, and they had a fabulous day rambling over Deception Pass in the rain.


In his e-mail, Joe says that he and Natalie both shared a love of e.e. cummings, which Natalie said was her favorite poet; and she said "since feeling is first" was her favorite poem. He sent the poem to me, hoping it would be in time for the memorial service, but since that was last Saturday, I thought I'd share it here.  (I know an e.e. cummings poem was read then, but I don't think it was this one).


Thanks, Joe.


*


since feeling is first
who pays any attention
to the syntax of things
will never wholly kiss you;

wholly to be a fool
while Spring is in the world

my blood approves,
and kisses are better fate
than wisdom
lady i swear by all flowers. Don't cry
—the best gesture of my brain is less than
your eyelids' flutter which says

we are for each other: then
laugh, leaning back in my arms
for life's not a paragraph

And death i think is no parenthesis

        -e.e. cummings